Introducing: the Radiotopia Podquest finalists!

Earlier this year Radiotopia launched Podquest, an open call for new podcast ideas. 1,537 people from 53 countries submitted ideas about every topic under the sun. Check out a portion of those topics here.

Radiotopia Executive Producer Julie Shapiro led a committee of 11 PRX staff and Radiotopia producers in reviewing the entries, ultimately narrowing the field to 10 impressive semifinalists. 99 Radiotopia donors also reviewed the top 50 entries, weighing in with their top choices for the semifinalists.

In the beginning, we intended to choose three finalists, awarding them each $10,000 and additional editorial and technical support to produce three pilot episodes, and then inviting one show into Radiotopia at the end of the year. But… we couldn’t choose just three (we wanted to choose all 10!). In the end, we settled on four finalists, the PQ4:

From left to right: Meat, Villian-ish, The Difference Between, Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle brings you the hidden stories of life inside prison, told and produced from the perspective of those who live it. (Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams, Earlonne Woods)

Meat,a podcast from Europe about our bodies and the lives we live because of them (Jonathan Zenti)

The Difference Between dives into the world of “information doppelgängers”—the stuff you always confuse for that other thing—to find out what makes them truly unique. (Jericho Saria and Hadrian Santos)

Villain-ish, a show about gaining new perspectives on dubious figures we’ve been taught to revile, and exploring the hidden details we may have never considered. (Vivian Le)

“The range of ideas and talent represented by the PQ4 kind of blows my mind, and showcases exactly what we were seeking through Podquest—new voices and ideas not yet represented in Radiotopia”, said Julie Shapiro, executive producer of Radiotopia. “I can’t wait to hear how their pilot episodes develop in the next few months.”

The PQ4 will be introduced on stage on July 7th at Podcast Movement in Chicago, and will then spend July through September working on their pilots. We’ll announce our final winner (or winners—we’re committed to inviting at least one finalist into Radiotopia) before the end of the year.

Learn more about the PQ here, and read some thoughts and feedback from our judges below.

On The Difference Between: “It’s just so enjoyable to listen to Jericho and Hadrian. They have great on-air chemistry that you don’t hear that often. Add to that their imagination and intelligence, and all together you’ve got a very promising combination.” (Helen Zaltzman, The Allusionist host andPodquest judge)

On Ear Hustle:“Prison fiction has been popular for years, but it’s time to hear real stories, and I expect these to be even more enlightening. One of Podquest’s goals is to give voice to under-represented groups, and Ear Hustle definitely achieves that.” (Bruce Ryan, Radiotopia donor and Podquest reviewer)

On Meat: “This show’s premise is deceptively simple, but Meat is digging into the most vulnerable corners of what it’s like to be a person. It’s a reminder that the world sees us differently than we see ourselves, for better or for worse. Audio is such an intense, perfect medium for stories about how our lives are shaped by our physical bodies, and Jonathan’s super creative use of sound makes this show one-of-a-kind.” (Lauren Spohrer, Criminal producer and Podquest judge)

On Villian-ish: “From the first time I heard Villian-ish pitched, I could imagine the endless stories the program could tell: from nerdy, sociological reportage to sweeping narratives, all about the very essence of conflict and storytelling. And after talking with Vivian, I could tell she had the spark and passion to pull it off. I’m eager to hear what she creates.” (Roman Mars, 99% Invisible, Podquest judge and partner in Radiotopia.)